Just before leaving, Linda turned and spoke.
“Watch yourself, brother. While your pack is full of powerful individuals, the enemies they made are equally powerful and well connected. I can assure you right now that the person who sent me won’t be satisfied with my lack of results and will plot another way to get what he wants. Be on guard and watch your back. The next person he sends won’t be as harmless as me.” With that she left.
Lucas stayed right where he was, frozen to the spot until he heard a car starting and driving away. Then he let the stress leave him in a huge sigh and collapsed to the stool behind him. The kids took their seats next to him, and they sat there in silence. Luc’s head was spinning with all the information. He was at loss. What the hell was he supposed to do?
Then the front door flew open and Jack ran inside looking frantic. Luc’s heart swelled with the love that had protected him from his sister-in-law’s spell.
“Luc!” Jack exclaimed as soon as he saw him and rushed to hug him. “Are you all right? What happened? Did she do anything to you? We got here as soon as we could.” Lucas gazed into these eyes full of worry for him, and the words escaped him before he could stop them.
“God, I love you, Jack. I love you so much.” He hid his face in Jack’s neck and just breathed for a while. He knew reality would intrude in just a second, but for now, he wanted to just be. He was right where he belonged, in his love’s arms.
Chapter Ten
Jack listened to Lucas’s story with a frown. He really didn’t know what to think. The witch did try to take advantage of Luc and the kids, but ultimately, she left without causing any harm. That didn’t mean Jack planned to forgive her for trying to cast a love spell on Lucas. His animal instincts were screaming at him to protect what was his even though the threat was gone.
“That’s some very interesting information you gathered there Lucas,” Toby informed him. His brows drew into a thinking frown. “It seems to indicate that while she works for the alpha, she is not very dedicated to his cause. She seemed smart and capable, knowing exactly when to back away, and unwilling to get into a fight with us.” He paused, taking a sip of his tea.
“Okay, but what does it mean for us, specifically?” Lucas gestured to himself and the kids who were listening to the conversation with attention. “Do you believe she’ll leave us alone now?”
Toby frowned in thought, and Jason squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. Jack noticed that while the alpha was quiet and let his mate lead, he was still listening to everything intently. Jason saw him watching and gave him a quick smile which Jack returned. He was truly blessed to have found himself in such a close-knit pack.
“It’s hard to predict their next move,” Toby said after thinking the question through. “But we can put some safeguards in place so that you’re not caught unaware again.”
“Safeguards?” Lucas asked. “Like what?”
Morton cleared his throat. “If I may?” He waited for a nod of confirmation from Toby and Lucas before speaking. “There are certain spells, wards, which can be laid around your house. I can teach them to both Ruby and Brian, and they can then lay them around your property. It will prevent other witches from entering.”
“Huh, wouldn’t it be better if you just put them there? Since you know them already and have experience?” Lucas asked.
Morton gave him one of his rare smiles, then looked at Ruby Rose and said, “Why don’t you explain, Ruby?”
“Oh, um.” The girl looked flustered with the sudden attention. “Okay.” She straightened up and went to explain. “Certain spells like wards for example require maintenance and upkeep. Since they are constantly on, so to speak, they eventually run out of magic powering them. Kind of like if you left your laptop on all the time it would run out of battery and then you must recharge it. So, wards need to be recharged every so often. It’s best if it’s us, because we live here and can recharge them whenever they need it.”
“Very good. Ruby, that was a nice, clear explanation.” Morton praised the girl, and she ducked her head shyly. “Would you like to add something to it, Brian?” he asked.
“Yeah, if I add to the wards it will be more difficult for another witch to tamper with them.” He paused and looked around at some of them watching him without comprehension. “You know, ‘cause I’m a warlock and have different type of magic most witches aren’t familiar with.”
“Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking.” Morton nodded at Brian and the boy grinned at him. “Two different kinds of magic are better than one in this instance.”
“Okay, so we have a magical way of preventing another witch from coming to our house, but what about school? Going into town? Other places?” Lucas was only slightly calmer.
“Well, I’m normally at school, so I’ll be keeping an eye on everything there,” Jack said, looking into Lucas’s worry-filled eyes. “But I’m sorry to say that everything else… This kind of danger comes with being a paranormal. You kind of get used to it. You become more vigilant etcetera, but it never goes away. Paranormals are normally more aware of themselves and people around them. It’s connected to having to hide your true nature from humans around you.”
“Yeah, you guys have experience with this kind of stuff, right?” Lucas asked. “I guess I’ve got a lot to learn about your world. My world now as well.” Luc seemed to calm down even more. “I’ll probably need a good, dedicated teacher.” He gave Jack a half-flirtatious smile.
“Right,” Toby said suddenly, standing up, “We’ll be going now. It was good to see you, Lucas. We’ll organise a pack get-together soon, so you can get to know other pack members better, learn a bit more about us all.”
“Yeah, that’ll be great.” Lucas stood up as well, Jack following his lead. They went with Jason, Toby, and the twins towards the front door. Morton lingered behind, speaking to the kids.
“Hey, Dad, since we missed school already, could we go with Morton?” Brian asked. “We’d like to start learning those wards now.”
Lucas frowned and asked Morton, “If you don’t mind?”
“No, it’s fine. I cancelled my plans already as I wasn’t sure how long this thing would take. I suggested it. I’ve got some books at my apartment that could help.”
“Fair enough. You can go then, guys.”
“Yes!” Brian jumped up and high-fived Ruby before going to collect his lunch bag.
In a short time, Jack and Lucas were left alone. Jack was in the kitchen waiting for Luc to make a phone call to school.
“Ugh, that’s done,” Lucas said as he came back. “I’m really glad that the headmistress is so sympathetic. I feel bad deceiving her like this.”
“Well, the way I see it you didn’t deceive her at all. You did have personal problems to do with your wife’s family, and the children were distressed over it.”
“You heard that, huh?”
“Shape-shifter, remember? Better senses.”
“Ugh,” Luc said, falling heavily down into his chair. “I really think you should explain it all to me once again. I mean, I know you gave me the rundown already when I found out about all this.” He made a wide gesture with his hand. “But I think now that I came to accept the whole situation a bit more, the knowledge will sink in better.”
“Um, sure, if that’s what you want.” Jack was ready to accommodate the man.
“That is what I want.” Lucas nodded decisively, then smiled and added, “But not now. Now I want to talk about me realising that I love you, and you giving me another chance. How does that sound?” Jack felt heat infuse his cheeks and he looked away.
“Are you certain?” he asked. “You’ve been through a lot recently, and that could have impacted your feelings.”
“Jack.” Lucas sat forward and took Jack’s hands in his. “I’ve been through a lot not only recently. Apparently, I have been magically manipulated for most of my adult life by a woman I thought I loved. If there’s one certainty in my life at the moment, it’s my
feelings for you. It’s nothing like what I felt for Ariana. The way I feel about you is more, and it is pure. I’m capable of being mad at you and still loving you. That’s not something I’ve felt in my marriage. My pseudo-love for Ariana was simultaneously tepid and overwhelming. My feelings for you are so much hotter, but leave me space for other emotions as well,” he said, then paused and took a deep breath, looking suddenly nervous. “I have to admit, after learning of what Ariana did to me, I was very unsure of myself. I wasn’t certain whether I could even recognize real love if I felt it. But Linda did me a big favour today. She tried to spell me with the same spell Ariana had used, but she failed. So as a person completely uninterested in my love life, she told me the god-honest truth when she said I was already in love with somebody. And that somebody is you, Jack. So please, don’t doubt my feelings. Don’t doubt that what we have is true. Tell me you’re interested, that you want to be with me, to see where it goes.” Jack’s throat closed at the heartfelt speech, and he only managed to utter one word.
“Yes.”
“Yes? Do you mean it?” Lucas looked so boyishly hopeful that Jack had to laugh.
“Yes, I mean it. I want us to give it a go!”
“Yass!” Lucas jumped up in the air with the biggest fist pump, looking very much like his son did earlier. Jack had to chuckle at the similarity. All thoughts of laughing escaped him though when Luc leaned towards him and asked, “So how about we try if we’re still compatible sexually?” Jack swallowed hard before answering.
“It seems like a sound plan.” Luc gave him a charming grin.
“I thought so.” He extended his hand, and when Jack took it, pulled the man to his feet. “Come on then, let me show you to my bedroom.” Jack followed him obediently up the narrow stairway and to the master bedroom.
Lucas’s room was spacious but sparsely furnished. There was a bed, with a side table and a lamp on it, and an in-built dresser with mirror doors. That was it.
“Nice place,” Jack said. Lucas spun him around and took his face in between his hands.
“Discuss my decorating habits later. Kiss me now.” Jack was happy to oblige. The kiss was soft at first, turning hungry rather quickly. After an indeterminable amount of time, Luc withdrew and rested their foreheads together, both breathing deeply. Finally, Lucas spoke. “Listen, Jack, I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’m willing to go as slow as you need. So, you set the pace, I’ll follow, okay? And if at any moment it feels like too much, just tell me, okay?”
Jack was touched. He knew, realistically, any sexual behaviour could be a trigger for him. He couldn’t tell for certain whether it would be, he hasn’t been with anyone sexually since being rescued by Jason. That Lucas was willing to take that into consideration and was so understanding meant a lot to him.
“Thank you!” he said from the bottom of his heart. “You don’t know how much it means to me.”
“It’s fine.” Lucas smiled at him gently. “I want you to be comfortable with me at all times. It’s about both our pleasure after all.” Jack only smiled in return, then kissed Luc back. Taking things slow was fine with Jack. Ripping each other’s clothes might work for other couples, but Jack was all about slow exploration of each other’s bodies.
Lucas pulled Jack with him towards the bed, until he sat down, and Jack was nestled between his thighs. Slow kissing all the time, they started unbuttoning each other’s shirts. They paused just long enough to remove their shirts, then Jack pushed Lucas until he lay on his back as he crawled over him. Jack drank in the sight of his lover’s torso, noting all the differences from their younger years.
Lucas was still trim, without fat and with clearly defined shoulder and chest muscles as if he enjoyed some time spent in the gym. He was hairier than he’d been in college, the nice soft pelt covering his chest and abs. Jack ran his hands over the dips and ridges of his lover’s chest, enjoying the sudden intake of breath when he reached Lucas’s abdomen. He got to the top button of Lucas’s pants and looked up at his man. Luc watched him with intensity in his half-lidded gaze, but he just lay there, letting Jack do whatever he wanted. Jack felt empowered. He popped the button and pulled the zipper down.
“Now, let me see my prize,” he said as he scooted back, pulling Lucas’s jeans down over his hips. He got off the bed, to remove the pants completely along with his own and their shoes. In just his boxers he climbed back atop Lucas. “Mmm, someone’s glad to see me,” he joked, massaging Luc’s hard length through his boxers. Lucas gave a strangled laugh.
“Oh, yeah, he’s drooling at the opportunity.”
“Is he, now?” Jack’s grin grew wolfish. “Well, let’s not make him wait then.” With that said, Jack pulled Luc’s boxers down. “Oh…very nice.” He eyed the hard dick waving hello. “Very, very nice.” Taking the sizeable appendage in hand, he gave it a slow stroke. Lucas’s cock wasn’t very long, but it was thick and slightly curved. The shaved balls and closely trimmed pubes let Jack’s eyes feast on the sight. He stroked Lucas’s dick a few times, then played with his balls and let his fingers slide behind them. “Will you be okay with bottoming this time?” he asked seriously. Lucas watched him with a half-lidded gaze and lazy smile. His hands linked behind his head, he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Of course,” he said simply, “whatever you want.” Then he grinned and tipped his head towards the bedside table. “But it’s been a long time since I’ve done any of that, so you better get to work on preparing me.” Jack smirked and opened the drawer. Sitting right in front was a barely used bottle of lube. He didn’t ask, didn’t want to ruin the mood, but he suspected the last time Lucas bottomed had been with him, back before Ariana spelled him. Jack doubted the newly widowed man would have had the time and energy for hook-ups in between uprooting his life and taking care of his children. Instead Jack focused on the task at hand. Opening the cap, he poured some of the gel into his hand and worked it gently to warm it up. Then he dipped two fingers of his other hand in it and used them to smear the substance around Lucas’s opening. That’s when he realised something.
“Wait, that won’t work. Get on the bed properly,” he ordered. Luc grinned but followed the instructions. Once he situated himself in the middle with pillows high behind his head, Jack gave him further directions. “Good, now spread your legs.” Lucas did just that, revealing a lovely sight to Jack’s eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” He climbed on the bed and knee-walked to settle between Luc’s thighs. With focus, he went back to spreading the lube around Lucas’s hole, massaging the surrounding muscles gently. After a bit, when he felt them relaxing, he slipped one slicked-up finger inside, feeling how Luc’s hole clenched around it. He looked up and wasn’t surprised to see Lucas watching him with silent intensity. The man had been like that even in college, watching Jack as if he were performing some elaborate operation. Jack grinned at the memory. He withdrew his finger and added more lube to it. Then, just because he could, he bent forward and sucked Luc’s cock into his mouth at the same time as he inserted his finger back into his hole. He timed the bobbing of his head with the in and out movement of his finger, assuming a slow and steady rhythm.
“Stop,” Lucas said suddenly, his voice thick. “I’m too close.”
Jack obeyed, releasing Luc’s dick from his mouth, a line of drool running down its length. He pulled his fingers out, then leaned forward to kiss Lucas. His cock was hard and impatient, and it poked Luc’s abdomen as they kissed. Somehow Luc knew and his hand found its way to wrap itself around it. The long steady pulls lacked any uncertainty. Jack knew that no matter what happened between them in the past, Lucas still knew him, knew what Jack liked.
“Oh,” he breathed as he pulled away from Lucas. “God, now I’m too close.” Lucas laughed and took Jack’s hand, intertwining their fingers.
“Look at us. Like a pair of impatient teenagers,” he said. Jack snorted.
“Speak for yourself. I was never that impatient as a t
eenager.” Jack pretended offense.
“Is that so? I seem to recall this one time after a trip to the cinema… I don’t think we made it back to my room, did we? I believe we ended up fucking against the bathroom door, and then my flatmate came back early. We traumatised him for life I think.” Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory. Gary really did look horrified when he caught them in flagrante delicto.
The moment of levity helped get their raging erections under control, and Jack went back to stretching Lucas. With a generous application of lube, he managed to get two, then three fingers in. He took his sweet time diving in for a slow kiss. Lucas ran his fingers down Jack’s chest, touching him wherever he could reach. Gradually the sexual tension rose again, until they were both nearly vibrating with it.
Real Love Page 11